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Battle of Al-Malihah
For a war map of the current situation in Rif Dimashq, see here. |date = 3 April – 14 August 2014 ( ) |place = Damascus, Syria |result = Syrian Army & Hezbollah victory *Army captures Al-Malihah and launches a new offensive |combatant1= Free Syrian Army Islamic Front * Jaysh al-Islam Al-Nusra Front |combatant2= Syrian Arab Republic * Syrian Armed Forces * National Defense Force Hezbollah |commander1= Khaled al-Haboush (Damascus Military Council commander) Abu Mohammad al-Golani (Al-Nusra Front leader) Zahran Alloush (Jaysh al-Islam leader)Syrian army captures Al-Maliha |commander2= Maj. Gen. Hussein Isaac مقتل أحد أبرز قادة الدفاع الجوي في سوريا بالغوطة الشرقية Maj. Gen. Adnan Omran توتر واستياء في إدارة الدفاع الجوي بعد مقتل رئيس أركانها }} The Battle of Al-Malihah was a battle in the Rif Dimashq Governorate during the Syrian Civil War. Battle On 3 April, the Syrian Arab Army launched a "large-scale military operation" in a bid to capture the rebel-held town of Al-Malihah and several surrounding towns and villages southeast of Damascus. Pro-government sources blamed the rebels for rejecting a truce offer and also for holding a local reconciliation committee captive.Syrian Army Launches Offensive Near Damascus The Army also stepped up its operations in the Jobar neighborhood.Report: Mortar shells kill 6 in Syrian capital By the next day, 26 rebels were killed by the clashes and air raids.Syrian army hits rebel positions in Damascus Between 3 April and 3 May, rebels launched several mortar shells on Damascus, killing a total of 11 people according to state media.Mortar fire kills 2 near opera of Syrian capitalTalks progress over rebel withdrawal from Homs On 13 April, it was reported that the Army took control of areas on Al-Malihah's edges, while the town suffered heavy bombing for 10 consecutive days.Syria planes hit rebel bastions in Damascus province: Observatory On 27 April, rebels reportedly took hold of the Missiles Battalion base and Al Jarwe intelligence building on the Damascus-Baghdad highway.Reef Dimashq Five days later, rebels also captured base 559 in the desert east of Damascus. A rebel battalion commander was killed during the takeover. At the same time, a number of rebels were killed in an ambush set up by the Army west of al-Iskan military yard.Clashes in Damascus en Deir al-Zour On 2 May, rebels in Al-Malihah launched a counter-attack and managed to capture parts on the northern edge of Jaramana district.سيطرت جبهة النصرة على مناطق واسعة من الاطراف الشمالية من جرمانا On 3 May, the Army advanced further into Al-Malihah and by 4 May, controlled more than half of the town, including the town hall, according to an Army official. The SOHR confirmed the Army advance, saying government troops had reached the town center, but noted that it was unclear how firmly in control the Army was. It also claimed that Hezbollah was playing the lead role in the battle.Syria army advances on key town near Damascus: security Meanwhile, three soldiers were reportedly killed by a car bomb in southwestern Damascus.Jihadist battle sparks exodus, Syria rebels on way out of Homs On 5 May, a large number of rebels from Douma arrived on the outskirts of Al-Malihah and reportedly engaged government forces.Elijah J Magnier On 16 July, it was reported that the al-Nusra Front detonated a suicide car bomb followed by heavy clashes in an attempt to lift the Army siege of hundreds of rebels in Al-Malihah.Detonation of a car bomb and violent clashes in al-Malihah in an attempt to break the siege According to the SOHR, 10 soldiers were killed by the blast.Reef Dimashq province On 14 August, the Syrian Army and Hezbollah took full control of the town,Syrian army takes town near Damascus in blow to rebels while the military continued to pursue insurgents in the fields north of al-Malihah. 500 rebels managed to withdraw towards the center of East Ghouta, while 100–150 rebel fighters were killed in the retreat. During the battle for Al-Malihah, opposition forces used an extensive network of tunnels under the town and the surrounding wooded areas which favoured rebel tactics. This resulted in the slow pace of the government force's advance during the four months of fighting.Syrian Soldiers Celebrate Fall of Rebel Stronghold The tunnel network was considered to be one of the most complex networks found in the war. After the town fell, the military planned to use it as a springboard to advance into the rest of the Eastern Ghouta region.Syrian army captures Al-Maliha The capture of Al-Malihah was followed by a new Army offensive later that month. References Category:Syrian Civil War Category:Military operations of the Syrian Civil War Category:Conflicts in 2014 Category:Rif Dimashq Governorate Category:History of Syria Category:2014 in Syria